Tuesday, July 31, 2018

The Evergreen Courant's News Flashback for July 31, 2018

Local weather reporter Earl
Windham reported .35 inches of rain in Evergreen on July 23. He reported highs
of 100 degrees on July 21, July 22 and July 23. He reported a low of 62 on July
19.

Owassa P.O. is closed: On
July 16, the Owassa Post Office was closed. The office had been temporarily
closed since June 30, when Postmaster Mrs. Lola M. Brown retired.

C.A. Walden, who recently
moved to Owassa from Jacksonville, Fla., tried his hand at gardening for the
first time this year. As you can see, he was quite successful. The giant
rutabaga he is holding weighed over 10 pounds and was 27 inches in diameter.

Rev. Matthews’ plea is
denied, to serve time: An appeal of a five-year sentence given to the Rev. H.K.
Matthews on an extortion charge stemming from civil rights demonstrations in
February 1975 at the county jail (in Pensacola, Fla.) was denied today by the
First District Court of Appeals in Tallahassee.

Matthews was charged with
extortion, according to court records, committed ‘by verbal threats of bodily
injury… while leading nighttime demonstrations in February 1975 at the Escambia
County Jail in Pensacola.’

The information filed by the
State Attorney’s office charged that ‘Matthews and (co-demonstrator B.J. Brooks
Sr.) did verbally and maliciously threaten injury’ to Sheriff Royal Untreiner,
Deputy Doug Raines and numerous other deputies.

In the trial itself, the
prosecution attempted to show Matthews and Brooks threatened not only injury to
the officers but death for Gov. Reubin Askew.

57 YEARS AGO

JULY 27, 1961

Lodge Will Lay Cornerstone
At New Hall Aug. 9: Greening Lodge, No. 53, F.&A.M. will lay the
cornerstone of the new lodge building on Aug. 9, it is announced today by lodge
officials.

An appropriate ceremony is
planned at two o’clock the afternoon of the ninth at the Lodge Building in
front of Conecuh County Hospital just off Main Street.

The ceremony will be
conducted by officers of the Grand Lodge and will be public. A cordial
invitation is extended by the Masons.

Right now, the lodge is
gathering various items to put in the cornerstone. Included will be a copy of
this newspaper and various items that might be of interest to some future
generations.

The Conecuh County schools
will open Sept. 14 after three days of in-service training for the teachers, it
is announced today by Mrs. Marie M. Pate, Supervisor of Instruction.

County gets land to expand
schools: Necessary land has been acquired at Repton and the Conecuh County
Training School for the proposed new construction at each and the architect’s
plans are now before the State Building Commission for final approval, Guy S.
Kelly, Superintendent of Education, said today.

The land, approximately
seven acres at each site, was condemned by the Board of Education after
satisfactory negotiations had failed.

72 YEARS AGO

JULY 25, 1946

Gold Star Air Medal Awarded
Missing Aviator: Lt. Ralph E. Boggs, husband of Frances E. Boggs, Route E,
Repton, Ala., recently has been awarded the Air Medal with a Gold Star in lieu
of his second Air Medal by the Secretary of Navy James Forrestal for the
President.

Lt. Boggs earned the award
for meritorious service in aerial flight as leader of a fighter bomber division
in action against enemy forces in the Pacific. He has been missing in action
since July 24, 1945.

Text of the citation is as
follows: ‘For meritorious achievement in aerial flight as a pilot in Bombing
Squadron 94, attached to the U.S. Lexington, in operations against enemy Japanese
forces in the vicinity of Wake Island, Tokyo and Hokkaido from June 20 to July
15, 1945. Consistently pressing home his vigorous attacks in the face of
intense anti-aircraft fire from Japanese guns, Lt. Boggs successfully carried
out five bombing, rocket and strafing missions against enemy airfields,
anti-aircraft positions, industrial installations and transportation systems,
to inflict extensive damage on the enemy. His expert airmanship, heroic
fighting spirit and unwavering devotion to duty reflect the highest credit upon
Lt. Boggs and the United States Naval Service.

The U.S. Employment Service
in Evergreen has been notified by the State Highway Department that a work
order has been released to the Scott Construction Co., for work on the highway
from Evergreen to Excel.

87 YEARS AGO

JULY 30, 1931

City School Will Open Sept.
7: Prof. W.P. McMillan spent the weekend here conferring with the members of
the City School Board and it was determined by that body that the next session
of the City School will open Monday morning, Sept. 7.

Army Outfit To Camp Here
Aug. 6-7: The Second Battalion First Tank Regiment (Light) of Ft. Benning, Ga.
will stop in Evergreen on Aug. 6-7 enroute to Ft. Barrancas at Pensacola, Fla.
Capt. Spalding with the advance reconnaissance party here on Monday of this
week conferring with Mayor Kelly and completing arrangements for the coming of
the battalion.

Arrangements have been made
to quarter the battalion on the grounds at the City School building. Something
like 275 enlisted men and 17 officers will be in the outfit. They will be
traveling by truck and expect to arrive here probably about noon Thurs., Aug.
6, spent the remainder of the day and night, leaving the next morning for
Pensacola.

Annual Terrapin Derby To Be
Held Sept. 5th: The date for Evergreen’s next Terrapin Derby has been set for
Sat., Sept. 5, this year.

It will be recalled that the
derby was held here last year on Oct. 25. More than 50 terrapins were entered
and the race was witnessed by one of the largest crowds seen in Evergreen in
many a moon. Being the unique and unusual event that it was, it not only
attracted the interest of local persons but much publicity was given to it by
the various newspapers over Alabama and other states.

117 YEARS AGO

JULY 24, 1901

The famous Battle of
Manassas was fought just 40 years ago on Mon., 22nd. There are three survivors
of that battle now living in Evergreen. They are John G. Guice, M.B. Salter and
W.S. Crosby.

Agent Sawyer of the Express
Co. has been advised that one of the homing pigeons which he liberated on July
2, reached its destination, Bridgeport, Conn., a distance of 1,016 miles on an
air line, on the 17th. Another of the birds reached there the next day. Eleven
were liberated, one remaining here and was given to Mr. Sawyer as a present.
The other eight have not been heard from.

Prof. J.A. Duncan Elected
Principal: The board of control of the Agricultural School met here on Friday
to elect a principal and to fill vacancies in the faculty of the school. Prof.
J.A. Duncan, who at the former meeting of the board was elected to Prof.
Payne’s place as first assistant, was elected principal, and Prof. L.A. Smith
of Ozark was chosen to the position of assistant. Mrs. L.A. Smith was elected
teacher of music.

Mr. Duncan, the newly
elected principal, is a young man and has been teaching at Lowndesboro. Both
Mr. Duncan and Mr. Smith come with very flattering recommendations as
teachers.

Sheriff Pridgen now has the
man, Jim Williams, who shot at R.C. Brawner at Castleberry some time ago,
safely behind the bars. He was captured at Brewton by Sheriff Raley.